Unofficial news and tips about Google

June 2, 2011

YouTube Reactions

YouTube tests a new feature that allows users to express their reactions without posting silly comments. They can just click one of the six buttons (LOL, OMG, EPIC, CUTE, WTF, FAIL) and instantly tag the video.

This is disgusting. I have no problem with the swearing, but please don't continue this trend of designing everything towards the lowest common denominator. We're slowly crawling into our own navels with this stuff.

I completely agree. I'm not sure I want to be explaining to my children what "WTF" and "OMG" mean. They could have just as easily used emoticons or something akin to Slashdot's adjectives. Why promote slang when we could promote literate and descriptive responses instead?

It won't last. I don't think people actively search these terms (I could be wrong), but if they want to increase engagement, just stick with the social network sharing buttons- YouTube "Like," FB "Like," Google "+1," etc. It's just as fast to use.They got rid of the 5-star ratings because no one used them (or rather, no one used 1-4 stars), I think the same will happen here.

Hey people, you're complaining about wtf button, but children can see wtf in comments too... so there is no big difference...there are some missing buttons for other videos not just break/failblog/fva like stuff... needs a Win and a Best button

Proper tags could be put to better use.Examples: Funny, Interesting, Cute, NSFW and FakeYouTube could use them to sort videos in more appropriate categories, for example: "Funniest videos this week" and "Most interesting videos this week"

So, as someone else pointed out, the G in OMG doesn't have to mean God. It could me gosh, which I have heard used many times in place of God, even with children around, or even godness. There is nothing at all offensive with "Oh My Gosh", nothing at all.

The F in WTF could stand for "frig/frick". Yes, less often used, but still a possibility. I have also seen it written online as "what the freak" as to be less offensive, so yet another alternative definition without the swear word, or "what's the fuss", "will to fight", "worse than failure", "wasn't that funny" and "way to fail". Maybe the problem is that you people are jumping to conclusions, or are inclined to go with the most offensive definition you can find. But in reality, I have seen numerous videos on YT where the first thing that came to mind was OMG, followed by WTF. Not just being a smart-a$$ either, I'm being serious.

Perhaps before jumping all over something as being offensive, when it's nothing but a few letters that don't actually spell anything, maybe some more research is a good idea.

American culture is obviously moving in a direction where swearing isn't as taboo as it once was. Please try not to assign too much meaning to a word, it is just a word. Oh man, oh shoot, oh sh*t, and oh f*$k all say the same thing but one is supposedly worse than the other because of meaning you attach to the word.

why the h*ll are people freaking out at kids being given WTF its not like there next actions is to sell drugs on the streets because they where given what the f*ck as an option on a website god forbid they learn a word young when there going to learn at least one day in there life

youtube blows period ads suck it doesn't belong to the public anymore. the public should just move on. and fuck vevo. i hate fucking vevo. censoring everything and putting ads while deleting alternatives. youtube, you are going to die within the next few years.

I got these on my account: LOL WOW EPIC CUTE HUH? FAIL. I like it and Im gonna use this reactions a lot . The like/ dislike(thumb down) feature is heavily abused , there are some users that their haters are subscribed only to make them dislike attacks minutes after they release a new video . Users of anonymous image boards amused by organizing these attacks. Im sure that they will use the FAIL reaction for the lulz.

I believe that the best improvement is to imitate the niconicodouga style of comments, or introduce text colors size etc and forum style emoticons

Opinions on this thing aside, I think we will suffer the same problem with ratings and likes/dislikes - the vast majority of the people will select only the most positive response and spawn endless tired memes of the "X people are Y flaw related to Z portion of video content".

But try if you must, it won't cut down on the inane chatter. It will only slightly change the content of such.

This is still immature at best, completely idiotic at worst. Six adjectives can't begin to cover the spectrum of material that's on YouTube. Like Michael said, where's "inspiring" or "beautiful"? If there's a serious video highlighting violence or abuse, it might be "disturbing" but "WTF" or "what" are inappropriate. I see a lot of news sites (Huffington Post, some local news) using a limited number of adjectives as a poll of reactions, and it is USELESS. At least like/dislike is an improvement over Facebook's and Google Plus's single option.

Perhaps Google could have a Reactions link that, when clicked, expands to show a box of 10-15 adjectives, and if you select one, then you see the top 5. I don't know.

You Tube ought to move to a 5-star system like Amazon and so many other websites use. Getting a few thousands or million hits with the ability to rate on a 5-point scale would produce meaningful metrics both for content-providers, advertisers, and users.

WTF and OMG or Cute and Funny might be entertaining for 12-year-olds and those who think like 12-year-olds.

The reactions are a bit childish (or playful, or idiotic, you choose), but probably that's what YouTube considers its website is all about. I mean, really, have you read the comments that make up 90% of the posts?

If ever should you feel some silly reactions could not possibly express the elusive complexity of your wondrous persona, feel free to post novel-like comments describing your awe-inspiring life, 'cause nobody said reactions will replace this option.

Also, more than half of the reaction-hating comments on this page are passive-aggressive.

for me, it is quite simple, anything that can enhance reader engagement like this feature is a great thing.. sometime, people just don't want to write out their feeling or just being lazy... for me, i prefer this like and dislike feature...

This is a great addition to all the cool stuff You Tube already have. One thing I can oppose to is reactions are missing "Fail" reaction, in some cases it is needed... I just don't understand this "Ouch" it's not suits here. In all other everything's great! Keep on a good work! You tube is the best!